Happy Mother’s Day, Especially To My Mom!!!

Mothers Day is tomorrow, and it is also a celebration of all women and all that they do for their families, friends and their communities.

A wonderful woman with silver hair who goes to our church, confessed that she had not been blessed with children, but I know her life has been a life of serving others and in my book…that counts as being a Mother.

That is why I love the scripture below….Proverbs 31….starting with verse 10….because it describes how a wife and/or mother should be.

I underlined it in red in my Bible almost 50 years ago.

These verses list the qualities of the virtuous woman.

Please read along with me as they describe my mother and I am sure, your mother too.

A wife of noble character who can find?

She is worth far more than rubies.

Her husband has full confidence in her, and lacks nothing of value.

She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.

She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.

She gets up while it is still night;

she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants.

She considers a field and buys it;

out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.

She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.

In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.

When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

Her husband is respected at the city gate,

where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.

She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.

She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:

Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Proverbs 31:10-31

There are daily challenges to being a Proverbs 31 woman…and when we accomplish each goal, it is truly a blessing to our families, …but also comes with a great satisfaction within ourselves.

None of us are perfect, and if you are like me…we are a work in progress.

My Mother had faults….. as do I, ….but one thing I was sure of…she loved me with all her heart and soul.

And now that she has gone to be with the Lord…there is not a day that goes by, that I don’t think of her and wish she were here.

There are so many “do overs” that I would like to do, (especially as I was growing up in those teen-age years) but that is something within all of us, isn’t it?

There will always be regrets of a word spoken in haste, but I can say that in the end, as I stood by my dying mother’s hospital bed…she knew I loved her.

I want to share a very personal story with you…my dear readers.

Her last words were for me, her first born.

I knew she was suffering.

Her little body was racked with pain and I knew she was going to heaven when she passed… but the doctor’s couldn’t understand why she was “hanging on” as many people do near the end of their lives, …..especially if they have been very sick as she had been.

I held her hand and I said the words that almost choked in my throat.

I said, “let go Mom…go and be with the Lord where there is no more pain”

And she looked at me…(all 89 pounds of her on a five foot 2 inch body frame) …..as only a mother could look at her daughter and she said “I can’t, not yet”

I said, “why not?”

And she said in a whisper…“because you need me, you are all alone because you lost your husband less than a year ago and I want to be here for you!’

At that moment, my heart broke and tears came streaming down my cheeks.

My mother’s last thoughts were for me.

I leaned over and kissed her forehead and smoothed her hair as I tried to compose myself.

I told her I would be fine…I was fine, and then I told her, Mom your work on earth is done.

“All three of your daughters are more than ok.”

And with that, my mother slipped from this world into heaven”

As I say the last verse of Proverbs 31…the words hold special meaning for me… for my mother.

“Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise…..”